“Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1). Our first reading is full of powerful examples of Abraham’s faith. He could not see the future but trusted in God’s promises. Abraham believed that he would have an inheritance in a land that he had never seen and would have descendants through a son whom he was asked to sacrifice. He could have easily looked around and reasoned that there was no land for him and that without a son, he would have no descendants. But he chose to have faith in God’s promises.
It is difficult to trust when we cannot see. I have been experiencing this frequently. My wife and I have been trying to stay close to the Lord through receptivity to His Spirit and the sacramental life. Sometimes this leads to clarity as to what the next step is without clarity as to how it will be possible to take that step. We have felt at peace with many decisions that we would have been very suspicious of in the past. But we are convinced that the Lord is leading us somewhere, even if we do not know what the end looks like. The steps beyond the next are shadowy, but we have faith that they do exist even if we cannot see them yet. Each time that we take another step in faith, the Lord gives us light to see the following step and peace by trusting in Him.
The disciples had to learn this posture of faith in our Gospel reading. Jesus told them to cross to the other side and they obeyed. In the process, they encountered a terrible storm that flooded the boat, and it appeared as if Jesus was unable to help. He was asleep but He was not powerless. They were in the dark. They woke up Jesus and asked for help, and Jesus immediately calmed the storm. He solved the problem, but not without rebuking them for their lack of faith. “Do you not yet have faith” (Mark 4:40)?
The psalm reminds us that God always keeps His promises. God promised a Savior through David’s line. He promised to show mercy to our fathers and remember His covenant. He promised to set His people free from the hands of their enemies. It took many years for these promises to be completely fulfilled, but they were. The patriarchs and prophets did not see the end, but they had faith, the evidence of things not seen. God also calls us to believe that He is faithful, even in times of darkness.
“La fe es la certeza de lo que se espera y la convicción de lo que no se ve” (Hebreos 11,1). La primera lectura está llena de ejemplos poderosos de la fe de Abraham. No podía ver el futuro, pero confiaba en las promesas de Dios. Abraham creía que tendría una herencia en una tierra que nunca había visto y que tendría descendencia a través de un hijo al que se le pidió que sacrificara. Fácilmente podría haber mirado a su alrededor y razonado que no había tierra para él y que sin un hijo, no tendría descendencia. Pero eligió tener fe en las promesas de Dios.
Es difícil confiar cuando no podemos ver. He estado experimentando esto con frecuencia. Mi esposa y yo hemos estado tratando de mantenernos cerca del Señor a través de la receptividad a Su Espíritu y la vida sacramental. A veces esto nos lleva a tener claridad en cuanto a cuál es el siguiente paso sin claridad sobre cómo será posible dar ese paso. Nos hemos sentido en paz con muchas decisiones que anteriormente hubiéramos estado muy desconfiados. Pero estamos convencidos de que el Señor nos está llevando a algún lugar, aunque no sepamos cómo será el final. Los próximos pasos están llenos de sombras, pero tenemos fe en que existen aunque todavía no los podamos ver. Cada vez que damos un paso más en la fe, el Señor nos da luz para ver el siguiente paso y paz al confiar en Él.
Los discípulos tuvieron que aprender esta postura de fe en el Evangelio de hoy. Jesús les dijo que cruzaran al otro lado y ellos obedecieron. En el proceso, se encontraron con una terrible tormenta que inundó la barca, y parecía que Jesús no podía ayudarlos. Estaba dormido pero no estaba indefenso. Estaban en la oscuridad. Despertaron a Jesús y le pidieron ayuda, y Jesús calmó la tormenta inmediatamente. Resolvió el problema, pero no sin reprenderlos por su falta de fe. “¿Todavía no tienen fe?” (Marcos 4,40).
El salmo nos recuerda que Dios siempre cumple sus promesas. Dios prometió un Salvador a través del linaje de David. Prometió mostrar misericordia a nuestros padres y recordar su alianza. Prometió liberar a su pueblo de las manos de sus enemigos. Pasaron muchos años hasta que estas promesas se cumplieron por completo, pero se cumplieron. Los patriarcas y profetas no vieron el fin, pero tuvieron fe, la evidencia de las cosas que no se veían. Dios también nos llama a creer que es fiel, incluso en tiempos de oscuridad.
David Dashiell is a freelance author and editor in the Nashville, Tennessee area. He has three children, a degree in theology, and enjoys writing about philosophy, theology, culture, music, and comedy. You can find his personal blog, Serious Daydreams, on Substack. He is also the editor of the anthology Ever Ancient, Ever New: Why Younger Generations Are Embracing Traditional Catholicism, available through TAN Books.
Feature Image Credit: Kai Pilger, unsplash.com/photos/the-night-sky-is-filled-with-stars-Ef6iL87-vOA
The views and opinions expressed in the Inspiration Daily blog are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Diocesan, the Diocesan staff, or other contributors to this blog.
The post Evidence of Things Not Seen / La evidencia de lo que no se ve appeared first on Diocesan.